By George Slaughter
Ashley Vann, Leah Wilson, and Greg Schulte took the oaths of office before the Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday.
The board then elected Vann as school board president, Lance Redmon as vice president, and Susan Gesoff as secretary.
Vann, who described herself on her campaign form as a public servant, was unopposed in her reelection bid for the position 3 seat this month. Wilson, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was elected to the position 4 seat and replaces Courtney Doyle, who did not seek reelection. Schulte, an engineer and project manager, was elected to the position 5 seat, defeating incumbent Bill Lacy, a mortgage banker.
Redmon, who is in construction materials sales, holds the position 2 seat. Gesoff, an engineer, holds the position 6 seat.
Renaming the Former L.D. Robinson Pavilion
The board Wednesday approved the renaming of the former L.D. Robinson Pavilion to honor Martha Lopez Aki, who has been with with the ECI (for early childhood intervention) Project TYKE for 28 years.
The pavilion will now be known as the “Martha Lopez Aki ECI Project TYKE.”
Under Aki’s leadership, the ECI Project TYKE program developed a group coaching model that included the parent, child, and provider. This model continues to be successful, especially for children on the autism spectrum. Her team has hosted many trainings for ECI programs statewide.
Aki has been in education for 40 years, including her time with ECI Project TYKE. She has also served as a specialist, teacher of students with auditory impairments, early childhood special education teacher, and kindergarten teacher.
“The program has always held a special place in my heart and now with this new dedicated facility, the opportunity for success is all but limitless,” Lopez Aki said in a news release. “Children from birth to 36 months with developmental delays or disabilities will have easy access to the resources they need to succeed and staff members will be in a centralized location within the district.”
Last March, the board approved the repurposing of the 25,000 square foot facility to provide expanded space for the ECI Project TYKE program. The facility will also house staff members and provide additional meeting space to the district. The facility renovation is expected to be complete by mid-January.